nuxx.net
Making, baking, and (un-)breaking things in Southeast Michigan.

PlayStation as CD Player: Sound

I think I’m starting to hear how the PlayStation, when used as a CD player, doesn’t sound that great… I’m listening to some stuff which I’d heard via Lossless on my iPod, and it just doesn’t sound as…. complex. It’s almost as if something is missing.

Next time I place an order with Mouser I’ll give some of the modifications people have talked about a go, but for now I’m thinking I’ll end up sticking with my iPod as an audio source for it.

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Charred Chili Relleno w/ Green Rice

Charred Chili Relleno w/ Green Rice

Danielle made these Charred Chili Relleno w/ Green Rice for us for lunch/dinner today. I stuffed the chilis and plated everything, but she actually did the prep work / cooking. They were very, very good.

The recipe used is basically this one from Food Network, with a few slight changes. (Veggie stock, there was enough rice that we served it on a bed of rice, etc.)

Except for the cheese it’s actually a vegan dish, and rather healthy. It’s quite tasty, too. Mmm…

Here is a photo of Danielle about to take a bite of the oh-so-tasty food. Mmm.

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PlayStation as CD Player, etc…

SCPH-1001 with CD Player Controls

Yesterday I threw together a quick write-up on how I modified my SCPH-1001 PlayStation to have CD player controls. There are also a bunch of photos from the project here (photo gallery retired).

I think it sounds better than any CD player I currently have, but I’m not so sure it’s that great. I’ve heard from a couple people that it’s not particularly great, but even if that is the case, for the $39.14 I spent on the whole project, it’s not bad.

Also, I’m thinking that I should purchase a Tenori-on. It’s being released in the UK in a few days and will likely cost about US$1200. I’m wondering if I should get one, both as a toy and as an investment…

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Brazil: Criterion Anamorphic

Criterion Collection Re-Release of Brazil as Anamorphic Widescreen (Sample)

While looking up the wonderful Terry Gilliam film Brazil today I found out that in addition to the box set from the late 90s Criterion has (finally, in 2006) released a newly digitized anamorphic version. So, instead of going to see it at the midnight showing tonight at the Main, Danielle and I swung by Borders and picked it up.

I must say, it looks really, really good. I’m sure part of it was the upconverting DVD player (photo gallery retired) and shiny TV (photo gallery retired), but still… it’s a very, very nice transfer.

I went ahead and grabbed a couple of captures from it via VLC and posted them here in my gallery (photo gallery retired) for people to see.

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Tonight’s Goals: Accomplished

Well, the goals for tonight I posted earlier were completed. I got the SCPH-1001 properly fitted with top-panel buttons which act as Play/Pause, Stop, Prev Track, Next Track, Rewind, and Fast Forward. I once again ripped into a SCPH-1080 controller in order to do this, but this time I learned from the past mistake and did things right.

I’ll write more about that later, I just wanted to share that things actually got done.

I was also able to add the power consumption information to the Millett Hybrid Maxed write-up, which makes it pretty much complete. I might make another one of these with a slightly different case (silver, wood end panels), and a different output stage. I’m not sure yet, though… next is for me to get back on to the Honda Music Link firmware rewrite thing. (That’s going to be a huge project…)

Anyway, now it’s bed time. Maybe tomorrow I’ll write up a project page about the SCPH-1001 modifications. I don’t think I’ll include much info about how it sounds (beyond “pretty good”) because I’d like to see some objective tests done on it, and I don’t have the facilities for that.

Yes. Bed. Goodnight. :)

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P3 MemX

Yay! The Sequentix P3 MemX board came in today. That means I can install it and then get the auction listed. Maybe I can get it listed Sunday on a 10-day for closing sometime the following week.

electronicsmaking thingsmoved from livejournal

Tonight’s Goals

Yesterday I picked up another SCPH-1001, OEM controller, and two third-party controllers. Inside of one of the third party controllers is a larger-than-the-Sony IC for converting button presses to the Playstation controller protocol. (The other is completely potted.)

I’m going to document that board (it’s very simple and not all the pins on the chip are used) and hopefully lift the chip and place it on a new, smaller board which I’ll make up. On this board I can leave large enough pads to solder to so that I don’t have the problem I had last time. Well, the soldering problem… The root of the problem is because I documented the Sony controller at around midnight, then didn’t double-check that documentation yesterday. I had counted some pins wrong. :(

I also have to rip out the shiny cabling that I put in place the other day and replace it with… whatever the new stuff is. I might also use random salvaged flat cable to save headaches, or just some de-jacketed CAT5. I’m not sure about this yet.

electronicsmaking thingsmoved from livejournal